As technology advances, televisions have quickly evolved in order to provide users with a number of programming options. For example, older televisions could only receive programming through antenna. As technology progressed, televisions were then able to receive programming through cable. Next, televisions were able to receive programming from satellite. All of these programming delivery methods used the television as an isolated receiver entity.
Today, televisions are Internet enabled. Now televisions can receive programming over the Internet. In addition, televisions are able to transmit limited information in order to purchase programming, verify subscription services, request information, etc. Nevertheless, the television is still basically a receiving and presenting device, designed to present programming to a user for viewing.
However, if a television user wants to communicate with another, the user must access a device other than the television in order to use an electronic mail program, text-messaging system, phone service, chat program, voice over Internet program, etc. Therefore, interactive communications require users who are viewing a television to own and operate separate devices.